Ravi Shastri Advises India to Declare Short of South Africa’s 489 to Save Time

The second test between India and South Africa at Barsapara Cricket Stadium has reached a pivotal juncture on the third day, with the hosts trailing by 480 runs after South Africa's commanding first-innings total of 489 all out. Senuran Muthusamy marked his debut international century with a resolute 109, while Marco Jansen fell agonizingly short of a ton, scoring 93 to propel the Proteas on a batting-friendly pitch that offered little assistance to the Indian bowlers over the first two days. Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the standout performer for India, claiming 3-112, supported by single wickets from Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja. By stumps on day two, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (7*) and KL Rahul (2*) had navigated 6.1 overs unscathed to reach 9/0, setting the stage for a monumental batting effort on Monday.

Trailing 0-1 in the two-match series following a 30-run defeat in the rain-affected opener in Kolkata—where South Africa's spinners dismantled India's chase—captain Rishabh Pant's side faces immense pressure to level the rubber and salvage pride before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia later this season. The Guwahati surface, making its Test debut, has proven a slow, true track conducive to prolonged batting duels, contrasting the spin-friendly conditions of the first Test that exposed vulnerabilities in India's middle order. With daylight hours limited in the northeast and potential for wear to aid spinners later, India's strategy will be scrutinized as they aim not just to avoid defeat but to engineer a turnaround in this World Test Championship fixture.

Former India captain and renowned commentator Ravi Shastri has urged the team to adopt an audacious approach, suggesting they declare their first innings 80 to 100 runs short of South Africa's tally to seize the initiative and compress the game into a result. "Tactically India will have to take a call tomorrow. See how they get through the new ball, and then take the game forward, and force a win in this Test match. They'll have to call the shots, which means you might even want to declare behind. Then try and bowl out the opposition quickly in the second innings," Shastri advised during Star Sports commentary, emphasizing the need for aggressive intent over conservative accumulation. He added, "You've got to take those chances. You can't wait to bat and go past 489; that'll take a long time. Might have to even declare 80, 90, or 100 runs behind and see how it goes," highlighting the risks of a time-consuming pursuit on a pitch unlikely to deteriorate dramatically.

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Shastri's bold counsel echoes his storied career as a middle-order aggressor and coach, where he championed fearless cricket, as seen in India's historic 2020-21 Brisbane triumph. While such a declaration—last employed by India in a home test against England in 2016—carries the peril of handing South Africa a lead exceeding 500, it could unlock overs for India's potent pace-spin attack to target quick breakthroughs in the visitors' second dig. As Jaiswal and Rahul resume, the duo must balance survival against the new ball with a brisk scoring rate, per Shastri's directive to "keep an eye on the run-rate," to keep victory in play on a day that could define the series.

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